Roth is well known in the Lehigh Valley as the frontman for Zen for Primates, the local art/cabaret rock favorites that ended its 27-year run last year. Roth's blase, offhand stage presence is familiar to fans, as he sang songs meaningfully when it was appropriate and with contempt when the lyrics deserved it.

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On Saturday, he will deliver all the lyrics he is singing with respect because he will perform songs by the world renowned Randy Newman South Side Bethlehem's Godfrey Daniels. Although Newman has been recording since his first self-titled album in 1968 and has been a performer for many years, he is best-known as a composer and songwriter. "So many people who have heard his music did not know he wrote it," Roth says.

Newman won six Grammys, three Emmys and two Academy Awards, inductions into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He won Grammys for his music in the films "The Natural," "A Bug's Life," Toy Story 2," "Cars" and "Toy Story 3," and won an Academy Award for Best Song for the latter.

It may disappoint Zen for Primates fans to hear that in person, T Roth (the T stands for Terry) is warm and friendly, the opposite of his onstage Zen demeanor. "I'll have a different persona than Zen for this show, but I don't know what it is. I'll be sitting, singing and probably telling stories about myself or the songs."

He will not plan his "nervous chatter" storytelling in advance, but Roth has worked a lot on the music. "The hardest part was picking the songs. I started with about 30, but some did not work for me. I have about 25 for the show. I also have planned a few for two encores, which I hope will be necessary!"

The songs are a comprehensive mix of Newman's works. "It's pretty much all his career, although there aren't any from his latest album ["Harps and Angels" from 2008, his last release not counting soundtracks and anthologies]."

Roth is particularly attracted to Newman's 1974 album "Good Old Boys," about the Southern way of life that attacks both Northern and Southern racism and includes historical events. Roth points out that it is still topical today.

Roth will not do Newman's songs in a chronological order, but is choosing them to vary the pace and mood of the show. "I have stayed pretty close to the way the vocals were originally done, and to the original arrangements. It would be hard to improve on the arrangements. He is known for them."

One song Roth won't likely do is Newman's "Short People." "He [Newman] is only remembered for 'Short People,'" Roth says. The song was superficially prejudicial ("Short people got no reason to live …"), but it was actually against prejudice itself. Newman's humor and subtlety worked against him in this case, and Newman came to regret his 1977 release of the song, which unfortunately is one of his best-known recordings.

This is the first time Roth has performed since the Zen breakup. "I'm always nervous, but this time I'm more excited than nervous. I've worked Godfrey's so many times, and I love that place."

"I've wanted to do this for years," Roth says about the show, "even before I joined Zen for Primates." He was even more determined after he saw Newman live for the first time at Easton's State Theatre in 2014, having missed him over the years because he was always busy in his own musical career. "That really sold me," he says.

He will be accompanied on piano at Godfrey's by Larry D'Amelio, who was in the glam rock band Another Pretty Face with Roth. "I worked with Larry 45 years ago. When we got together again, we clicked. Larry heard about Randy Newman from me when we hung out together in the band, but he had to start from scratch to learn the songs."

Roth grew up in Slatington. His first musical venture, at age 15, was Aunt Melba's Junk Band. His group Another Pretty Face relocated to New York City from Slatington because nearly all its gigs were in New Jersey or New York. Saxophonist Dave Smith remembered Roth from that band and asked him to sit in with an early version of Zen for Primates. He later joined and was with the group until last year's disbanding. "The band pretty much ran its course. It's as simple as that. We did what we were going to do," Roth says.

Roth has built up a large YouTube presence as The Zipster. The Zipster channel also includes other offbeat characters like Loco Mama, doing commercials, giving advice or just describing their daily lives. Having been with YouTube from nearly the beginning, Roth's videos have received 22 million views. The Zipster channel has become less active after 1,200 videos, running short of subject matter, although there are recent references to President Donald Trump.

The future might bring other Roth shows, such as the Paul Simon Songbook or a salute to girl vocals groups of the '60s. But for now, Roth says, "We'll see how this goes. I'm focused on this one."

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He expects many Zen fans, and says he has even heard from followers of Another Pretty Face from all over the U.S.